Dust collector for coal-burning heaters



Aug. 31', 1926. 1,598,121

' J. H. CUNNINGHAM DUST COLLECTOR FOR COAL BURNING HEATERS Filed Sept. 27. 1923 5* I i t: I I

Z v v vzm-ox ig I Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

RENETED stares JOHN H. CUNNINGHAM, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

DUST COLLECTOR FOR GOAL-BURNING HEATERS.

Application filed September 27, 1923 Serial No. 665,181.

This invention relates to a dust collector for coal burning furnaces and other heaters commonly used for house and store heating purposes.

t is well known that in heaters of this character, the shaking of the grates for removing the ashes from the fire box into the ash pit causes more or less of the ash dust to escape into the cellar or to collect over and upon the fire to such an extent as to retard the draft and deaden the fire, and that furthermore, in. removing the ashes from the ash pit to external receptacles provided therefor, allows more or less of the dust to escape into theroom in which the furnace is located and sometimes to pass into the upper rooms through crevices in the floors and around the registers.

The main object of my present invention is to obviate as far as practicable, these diff culties by not only connecting the ash pit to the smoke flue through the medium of a conduit around the outside ofthe fire box so that the floating dust may be drawn into the smoke flue by the ordinary draft therein when the grates are shaken or by causing said dust to be drawn into a collecting chamber by the same draft and permitting the heavier particles to be precipitated to the bottom of said chamber due to the inter position of the relatively large collecting chamber in the connection between the ash pit and smoke flue.

Another object is to partition the lower portion of the collecting chamber into separate compartments some distance below the dust inlet and outlet so that one chamber may be used for receiving the ashes to be sifted therein, while the other chamber serves to receive the sifted coal separate from the ashes, it being understood that the dust collecting chamber is practically dust. proof and is provided with suitable doors for permitting access to the several compartments, particularly for receiving the ashes to be sifted and for removing the sifted coal.

A further object-is to provide the'dust conduits leading to and from the dust collector with suitable dampers whichmay be opened when shaking the furnaces-or transferring ashes fromthe ash pit to one of the compartments or may be closed to allow the furnace to be operated in the usual manner and with full force of the draft.

Other objects and uses relating to specific In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevatron partly in section, of a portion of a furnace and my nnproved dust collecting apparatus connected therewith. I

Flgure 2 is a side elevation partly in section, of the detached dust collector.

Figure 3 is a horizontal view throu h the dust collector taken on line 33, Fl ille 1. Thisdust collector may be used in donned tlon with any suitable coal burning heater as a furnace -A- having an ash pit a'- a fire box aand a smoke flue-A leading to a suitable chimney B- and comprises a conduit 1 leading from the ash pt (0 to the upper portion of a dust proofcasing 2- having a chamber 3 the lower portion of which is divided by a partition into separate compartments -5- and i i The upper end of the chamber -3- is connected by a conduit 7. to the smoke flue -A and is therefore, in direct communication with the chimney B so that the draft in the chimney performs a double function of stimulating the fire in the fur nace and also of drawing the floatin ash dust from the upper b 111g chamber -3- the ash pit a.

The furnace -A- and its smoke flue A/ may be provided with the usual draft dampers and check dampers for controlhngcombustion of the fuel and may also be provlded with the usual conduits leadin therefrom to the various parts of the build 111g for heating purposes.

The dust collecting casing -2- may be of any suitable size or form, but is prefen ably rectangular and arranged in an upright position at one side of the heater in proximity thereto so as to extend some distance above the ash pit.

The conduit 1 has itslower end connected to the ash pit a and its upper end connected to the dust collecting chamber -3- some distance above the compart ments 5 and -6, and partition 4 and therefore, some distance above the level of the ash pit while its intermediate portion is provided with a valve'or damper -8- for controlling the passage of dust and incidentally, from from the ash pit therethrough to the collectportion of the collectduit of the furnace to act directly upon the,

fire in the usual manner. I

The upper portion of the casing -2- therefore, forms a part of the conduit leading from the ash pit ato the smoke flue A of the furnace and constitutes an enlar ed portion of said conduit to facili tate the precipitatlon of the ma or portion of the heavier dust from the ash pit to the bottom of said chamber, while the lighter particles which may still float in the chamber may be drawn through the conduit -7 into the smoke flue and thence into the chimney.

A portable ash can l0 is movable into and out of the compartment -5- and when in use, normally rests'upon the floor of the caslng 1 and 15 provided w1th a cover 1()- having an ash sifter -11 of.

any suitable type provided with a discharge nozzle 12 which is adapted to discharge the sifted coal into the compartment -6 over the top of the partition -,4 said ash sifter being of the standard rotary sieve type having the usual crank handle 13 for rotating the ashes to be sifted, and thereby separating the ash from the coal and allowing the ashes to be collected in the can 5 While the coal is discharged into the compartment 6.

The side of the compartment -5- opposite the partition -4lis provided with a door 14 through which the can 9 may be removed when filled for emptying outside of the building and replaced when emptied.

The same side of the casing which is above the door 1 l isprovided with an additional drop door 15 in a plane above 7 the upper edge of the partition -l to permit the ashes whieh may be shoveled from the ash pit -a to be deposited in the ash sifter 11 for sifting ashes while the doors may be closed to prevent the escape of dust from the interior of the casing except to the conduit -7. During the sifting operation, the sifted coal is deposited into the compartment 6 which is provided in one side with a door 16- capable of being opened when desired to remove the coal from said compartment. All parts of the casing 2- including the doors 14-, 15 and 16 are made dust proof when the doors are closed thereby obtaining a maximum draft effect in drawing the floating dust from the upper portion of the receptacle through the conduit 7, through the smoke flue When the damper 9 is open orfrom the ash pit when the'damper 8- is open.

Operation.

When it is desired to shake the furnace, the draft dampers of said furnace may be closed and the dampers 8 and 9- in the conduits -1 and 7- opened to increase the force of the draft in the upper portion of the chamber 3 whereby the floating dust collecting in the ash pit a is drawn through the conduit 1- and thence into the upper portion of the chamber 3, where by reason of the expanded area, the heavier particles of dust are precipitated through the bottom of the'receptacle, while the lighter floating particles of dust are drawn intothe conduit -7 and thence through the smoke flue A- through the chimney;

It is evident however, that the amount of dust precipitated will be comparatively small and insufficient to seriously eflect the burning qualities of the sifted coal which may be deposited in the chamber 6-. On the other hand, if it is desired to sift the ashes resulting from the burning of the coal, they maybe shoveled from the ash pit a into the sifter 1 1 through the open door 15 and after the door is closed, the sifter may be'operated to separate the ashes from the coal allowing the ashes to drop into thecan l0 and the coal to be de-' 'may be closed to allow the furnace to be operated in the usual manner.

I claim 2' 1. The combination with a heater having an ash pit and a smoke flue, of a dust conduit having one end extended through an opening in one side of the ash pit below the fire box and its other end operatively connected with the smoke flue outside of the heater, and means operable at'will for opening and closing the passage through said conduit. 7 I I 2. The combination with a heater having an ash-pit," a fire box and a smoke flue, ofv a dust collecting housing supported at one side of the heater independently thereof, and extended from thelevel of the ash pit some distance above thelevel of the fire box, a dust conduit having'one end extended. through an opening in one side of the ash pit for communication therewith and its other end connected to said housing at a level above the fire box, and a draft conduit connecting the upper portion of the housing to the fine of the heater.

3. The combination with a heater having an ash pit, a fire box and a smoke flue, of a dust collecting housing supported at one side of the heater independently thereof and extending upwardly from the. level of the ash pit some distance above the level of the fire box, a partition extending upwardly from the bottom of the housing and ter1ninating some distance below the upper end thereof for dividing the lower portion of the interior of the housing into separate compartments Communicating with each other above the partition, an ash sifting device in one of said compartments provided with means for discharging the coarser materials into the other compartment, anda draft conduit connecting the upper portion of the housing to the fine of the heater.

41:. The combination with a coal burning heater having an ash pit below the fire box and a smoke conduit leading from the fire box, a dust-collecting housing supported at one side'of the heater independently thereof and extending from the level of the ash-pit above the level of the fire box, a partition rising from the bottom of said housing and terminating some distance below the upper end thereof to form opposite compartments communicating with each other above the partition, a dust conduit having one end connected to the ash pit below the fire box and its other end connected to the interior of the housing some distance above the partition, a damper in said conduit and an additional conduit connected to the dust collector above said partition and also connected to the smoke conduit of the heater, a damper in said additional conduit, between its point of connection with the housing and its point of connection with the smoke conduit.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of September 1923.

JOHN H. CUNNINGHAM. 

